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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: stand · march · stick · key · fan · scale · band · mouse

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — for a lock
  16. scale — size or range
  17. march — the month
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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