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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. degree — from a university
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stem — to come from
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — of a plant

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