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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — in golf
  12. band — a music group
  13. march — music
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a ring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — in music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. march — the month
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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