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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — the season
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — a committee
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. racket — for tennis

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