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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: pit · spell · band · cabinet · game · march · object · season

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a hole
  5. season — in sport
  6. spell — a short time
  7. march — music
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. object — to protest
  12. spell — letters
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — a thing
  20. spell — magic
  21. season — of the year
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. object — an aim

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