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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — the month
  5. pass — a permit
  6. march — music
  7. court — of law
  8. band — a music group
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. court — for sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. court — of a king
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — the tool

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