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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. march — the month
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — a division
  10. tube — the underground
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — a list
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. march — the month
  20. object — an aim
  21. land — a country
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — to protest
  24. bay — a horse colour

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