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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — the month
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — on your feet

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