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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 116 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: mark · can · bay · present · drill · march · sharp · cabinet

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — a practice
  7. march — music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. present — a gift
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. present — the time now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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