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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 120 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: bound · rock · march · bore · can · pit · rush · hand

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hand — help
  19. march — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — to hurry

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