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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. drill — army training
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — the tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — electricity
  15. firm — decided
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — steady
  18. charge — in control
  19. firm — a company
  20. clip — to cut
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. season — in sport

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