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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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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a ring
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. roll — a list
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. band — a rubber band

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