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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · pass · plane · band · cabinet · march · roll · pitch

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. plane — a tool
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a list
  13. band — a music group
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. band — a ring
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. march — music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pass — a permit

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