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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: net · jam · kick · pass · march · spell · wound · can

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. march — the month
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. kick — in football
  15. march — the month
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — magic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — letters
  23. pass — a permit
  24. net — after costs

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