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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
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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: band · kick · chair · face · ball · mug · ruler · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a leader
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kick — in football
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ball — a dance
  9. march — the month
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. band — a ring
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a music group
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — to confront
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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