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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. season — of the year
  3. suit — to fit
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — music
  7. band — a ring
  8. suit — in cards
  9. season — in sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pop — soda
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pop — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a music group
  18. march — the month

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