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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. march — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — a tin
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pass — a permit
  17. branch — a division
  18. drill — army training
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. can — to be able to

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