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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 120 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: ruler · march · lash · board · season · mark · mine · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — in sport
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. march — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. season — of the year
  24. pit — in a race

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