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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: mine · cap · wake · bore · bay · march · bear · chip

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bore — to tire
  17. march — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mine — belonging to me

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