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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — music
  4. net — after costs
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — in sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — a permit
  16. season — of the year
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — in sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. march — the month
  24. perch — for a bird

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