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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. march — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. content — happy
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — the amount
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a face
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. march — the month
  18. band — a music group
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — to pay attention

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