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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — goods
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a dance
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — tied together
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — shares
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. march — music
  24. bound — certain

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