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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — the month
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a match
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kick — in football
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

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