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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — a path
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — a division
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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