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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rest — a break
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rest — what's left

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