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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: march · mark · net · band · roll · charge · plane · toast

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a music group
  5. net — for catching
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — a grade
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. toast — bread
  23. roll — a list
  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