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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to bend
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — soda
  12. deal — to handle
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pit — in a race
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. dip — to dunk

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