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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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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: row · stick · bear · bore · bay · cold · racket · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bore — to tire
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to drill
  18. march — music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cold — not warm

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