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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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468
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: rule · bore · march · pass · pitcher · toast · mouse · key

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bore — to drill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. toast — bread
  16. rule — government
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rule — a law
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. toast — the most admired

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