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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bore · chair · bowl · deal · track · march · stem · mine

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. march — music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stem — to come from
  6. march — the month
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bore — to drill
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. march — the month
  24. mine — for digging

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