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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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — a division
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — in a race
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — a path
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — a match
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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