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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. march — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a ring
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pop — to visit
  24. band — a music group

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