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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. spell — letters
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — a permit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. firm — steady
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. band — a ring
  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