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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a music group
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. march — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a ring
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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