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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — the tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. land — ground
  19. present — a gift
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bass — low music

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