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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: march · suit · safe · band · clip · staff · stock · sharp

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. suit — clothes
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. band — a music group
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — to fit
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — in cards
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. clip — to cut
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a ring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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