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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — in sport
  10. firm — a company
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — an amount
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. squash — to crush
  24. branch — a division

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