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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · cell · mouse · pop · court · bulb · branch · march

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cell — a phone
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pop — soda
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of law
  24. pop — to visit

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