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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 · bore · can · pit · current · bay · tear · stock

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — to rip
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stock — goods
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stock — shares
  24. bore — gave birth

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