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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: season · pop · pass · march · spring · board · band · lie

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. spring — the season
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — in sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. march — music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — soda
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. march — the month
  16. board — a committee
  17. march — the month
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pop — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — of water
  23. season — of the year
  24. lie — to recline

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