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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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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 · race · present · bear · mouse · nail · fork · march

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. race — the arms race
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — the time now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. race — humankind
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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