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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.

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: pound · rash · march · roll · board · clip · mark · bay

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rash — a series
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. clip — to cut
  11. roll — a cake
  12. march — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — hasty
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. board — a committee
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. march — the month

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