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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. roll — a list
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — there
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — a division
  8. roll — a cake
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — the time now
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stock — shares
  19. march — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. present — a gift

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