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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — a committee
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. march — the month
  12. band — a ring
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. pop — soda
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bank — for money

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