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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. march — music
  7. file — a document
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — a series
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — on your feet

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