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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 116 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: fan · mine · band · pop · march · chip · suit · track

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. band — a ring
  4. track — a song
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pop — music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mine — for digging
  11. march — the month
  12. chip — for betting
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a music group
  17. pop — soda
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — clothes
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — to visit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chip — to eat

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