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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — in music
  3. march — music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wind — moving air
  6. field — for sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — of a word
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wind — to turn a key

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