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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. branch — a division
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. march — the month
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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