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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tube — a container
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — farmland
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — a division
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. march — the month
  21. field — for sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mine — for digging

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