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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — the earth
  10. branch — a division
  11. march — the month
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ground — a position
  15. pass — a permit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. racket — a loud noise

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