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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: cap · march · stick · net · tube · bore · bear · wave

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cap — a lid
  7. march — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — gave birth

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