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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — of a river
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. march — the month
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — in cards
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — to breed

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