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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. face — to confront
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — a division
  7. mark — a trace
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — a match
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — wild animals

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