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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: march · band · row · key · fine · ruler · craft · mug

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. band — a music group
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. march — the month
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. row — a line
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. march — the month
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fine — all right
  21. band — a ring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mug — a face

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