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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. present — the time now
  7. march — the month
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — to bear
  10. present — there
  11. band — a music group
  12. key — the most important part
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. key — for a lock
  23. march — music
  24. pit — in a race

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