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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ground — the earth
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — bread
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — music
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — a trail

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