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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: bay · key · calf · jam · clip · band · march · file

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — to cut
  4. file — a document
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. clip — a video
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. march — the month
  11. key — the most important part
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. key — in music

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