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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. band — a music group
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. capital — money
  11. pass — a permit
  12. band — a ring
  13. capital — a city
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. march — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. club — for dancing

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