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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. band — a music group
  14. march — music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stock — shares
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rash — a series

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