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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: deal · bark · suit · bore · march · lie · row · club

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for golf
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — for dancing
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. club — a group

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