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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. band — a music group
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wake — a trail
  24. band — a ring

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