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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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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: kick · roll · pass · march · degree · cue · band · stick

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. degree — from a university
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. roll — a cake
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kick — in football
  14. roll — a list
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. march — music
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. degree — an amount
  21. band — a music group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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