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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: last · season · branch · roll · object · bore · pit · march

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — of the year
  5. last — to go on
  6. march — music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — to protest
  9. march — the month
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — to drill
  12. roll — a list
  13. object — a thing
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a hole
  18. object — an aim
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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