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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: pass · bear · stick · swing · shower · march · band · race

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. march — the month
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pass — a permit
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. race — humankind
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — the animal
  22. march — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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