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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — a gift
  5. march — the month
  6. band — a ring
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. present — there
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. key — in music

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