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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 · field · net · mouse · band · bowl · firm · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. firm — decided
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. firm — a company
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — for catching
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. field — for sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. field — farmland
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. field — a subject
  24. bowl — to roll

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