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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — a division
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — a permit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. toast — bread
  15. bass — the fish
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. press — newspapers
  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