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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — an aim
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. object — to protest
  15. march — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a ring

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