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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
468
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: row · march · branch · cabinet · spell · bear · racket · pit

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. march — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a hole
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a line

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