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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. season — in sport
  3. march — the month
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. bass — low music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. march — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — the fish

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