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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a song
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — a division
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pop — music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. march — the month

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