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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — electric
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — the month
  9. present — there
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. present — a gift
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. band — a music group
  22. kick — in football
  23. present — the time now
  24. plane — in geometry

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