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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: arm · band · march · plane · rule · scale · jam · court

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rule — government
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. jam — in traffic

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