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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: march · band · fine · mark · chair · cabinet · mine · calf

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. march — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. band — a ring
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. band — a music group
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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