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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. march — the month
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. march — the month
  18. content — happy
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. branch — of a bank

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