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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — in a race
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. suit — to fit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pit — a hole
  24. march — the month

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