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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. firm — a company
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — decided
  16. capital — a city
  17. squash — the sport
  18. capital — money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. march — the month
  21. season — in sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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