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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: bear · board · march · squash · band · kid · jam · racket

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. kid — child
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. band — a music group
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — to crush
  23. band — a ring
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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