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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. march — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — to paddle
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. band — a ring
  20. bass — low music
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a quarrel

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