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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — for sport
  7. march — the month
  8. shower — rain
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bank — for money
  13. fine — all right
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — high quality
  21. shower — to wash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — farmland

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