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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. band — a music group
  9. march — music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a kind of play

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