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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: racket · spell · club · band · rush · march · pass · shower

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — a permit
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — rain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — for dancing
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — letters
  16. club — a group
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. club — for golf
  21. spell — magic
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — to hurry

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