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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: arm · rest · band · march · ball · stick · chip · pit

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  2. ball — a dance
  3. march — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — for betting
  8. march — the month
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rest — a break
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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