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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: band · toast · game · pass · degree · arm · face · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — a permit
  7. band — a ring
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. game — wild animals
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. degree — temperature
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a music group

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