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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cap — of ice
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — a hat
  17. march — music
  18. current — electric

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