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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: game · suit · bore · row · temple · rock · march · net

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — for catching
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — in cards
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — in sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. row — a line
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rock — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — wild animals
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — after costs
  24. row — to paddle

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