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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — a company
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — obliged
  7. firm — steady
  8. march — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — decided
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — certain
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — on a finger

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