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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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 music group
  2. march — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a ring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tube — the underground
  17. march — the month
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. mark — a trace
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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