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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. field — for sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. march — the month
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. field — farmland
  24. branch — a division

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