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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. 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. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — magic
  7. march — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — in a road
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. 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