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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. march — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mate — a friend
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — a football final

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