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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — music
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — a division

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