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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. branch — a division
  15. band — a music group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. march — music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — to get on

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