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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. content — happy
  8. suit — to fit
  9. band — a ring
  10. march — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. content — the amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. staff — a stick
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — clothes

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