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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: march · hand · bear · present · bore · tube · fine · track

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fine — all right
  7. march — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. present — the time now
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. track — to keep track
  14. present — there
  15. track — a song
  16. present — a gift
  17. track — a path
  18. fine — high quality
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bear — to put up with

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