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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a music group
  5. root — the cause
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — of a word
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. march — music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — a division
  22. date — the fruit
  23. safe — out of danger
  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