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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. rest — a break
  2. march — music
  3. field — for sport
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — there
  8. field — a subject
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. march — the month
  14. field — farmland
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — high quality
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — a gift
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  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