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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. roll — a list
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — a cake
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rock — a stone
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. branch — of a tree

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