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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. band — a ring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the sport
  22. key — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

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