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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: coach · band · foot · charge · pit · rock · shower · march

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a music group
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — a price
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. charge — electricity
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. band — a ring
  24. shower — to wash

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