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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.

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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — happy
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bank — of a river
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. march — music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — lets stay

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