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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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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: swing · season · march · foot · wave · game · pass · branch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. march — music
  14. branch — a division
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — a match
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. season — of the year
  21. swing — to play on
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. foot — part of the body

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