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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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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: bowl · mark · squash · bore · march · ruler · current · capital

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. capital — a city
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — the month
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. march — music
  13. current — electric
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — money
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — to tire
  19. current — happening now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — the sport
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — the vegetable

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