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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — a division
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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