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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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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: march · fine · rest · arm · band · track · coach · calf

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — a song
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  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