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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: march · pitcher · bore · temple · current · board · fork · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. board — a committee
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bore — to drill
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. march — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — the month

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