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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — a company
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a ring
  8. field — for sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. march — the month
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — a subject
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — tied together
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rash — a series
  20. firm — decided
  21. pass — a permit
  22. firm — steady
  23. march — music
  24. rash — hasty

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