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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 124 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. march — music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — for catching
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — the season
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — the month
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  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