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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: bore · march · fine · mate · firm · spell · pit · leaves

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spell — magic
  5. mate — to breed
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spell — a short time
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bore — to drill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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