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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. march — the month
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. current — happening now
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — of water
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to click
  16. fork — in a road
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a match
  22. present — there
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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