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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — a break
  8. march — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — army training
  14. fall — the season
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — a division
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  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