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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 124 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — an aim
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — 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