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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. net — after costs
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. key — for a lock
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — for catching
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. march — music
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lie — an untruth

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