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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — in sport
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. branch — a division
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. march — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mate — a partner
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. toast — bread
  23. mate — to breed
  24. march — the month

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