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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · date · bowl · bore · march · hand · leaves · safe

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — to tire
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — a dish

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