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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. season — of the year
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. present — there
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fine — high quality
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. fork — in a road
  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