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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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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 · cap · staff · pass · cue · mug · band · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mug — a face
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cue — for pool
  8. band — a music group
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a song
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — a path
  15. march — the month
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pass — a permit
  18. march — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pass — to spend time
  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