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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — in a road
  3. march — the month
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ball — a round shape

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