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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — to bear
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. march — the month
  17. cell — a phone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — music
  23. cell — in biology
  24. jam — in traffic

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