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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — a series
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. march — music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pass — a permit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. roll — a list
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — hasty
  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