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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — low music
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. march — music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pass — a permit
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — to get on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — letters
  24. racket — for tennis

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