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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · race · perch · swing · bore · mug · craft · march

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. race — a contest
  4. march — the month
  5. race — the arms race
  6. craft — a skill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — to play on
  11. march — music
  12. race — humankind
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mug — to rob
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. swing — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com