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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 120 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: pit · stand · band · rule · face · march · calf · coach

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stand — to bear
  4. march — the month
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. face — to point toward
  9. march — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a music group

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