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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · rule · branch · bay · foot · wound · march · land

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — to come down
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. march — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. march — the month
  15. land — ground
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. land — a country

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