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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: bat · cabinet · fan · march · track · band · rock · pass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — a permit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. band — a music group
  16. rock — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. march — the month
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. march — music
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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