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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 116 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: can · race · march · key · rule · band · firm · bay

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. firm — steady
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — a company
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. firm — decided
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — a law
  17. march — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. rule — government
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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