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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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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: mate · bark · march · cabinet · band · fine · race · ball

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bark — to shout
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. race — humankind
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a music group
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. march — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. march — the month
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a ring

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