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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — of the year
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. season — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. march — the month

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