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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a music group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a committee
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — 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