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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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 ring
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. march — the month
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. club — for golf
  16. band — a music group
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. march — music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — to succeed

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