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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a ring
  3. march — the month
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mark — a trace
  18. season — of the year
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — out of danger

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