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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — a coil
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. march — the month
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. object — to protest
  21. spring — the season
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spring — of water

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