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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. march — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. net — for catching
  24. pass — to spend time

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