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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tear — to rip
  4. club — for golf
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tear — from crying
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fine — all right
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stand — to bear
  20. club — a group
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. club — for dancing

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