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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — in music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. march — music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. scale — size or range

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