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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · spell · arm · march · fork · saw · board · pass

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — in a road
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — a permit

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