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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. game — wild animals
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — a division
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — to bear
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. can — a tin

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