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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: pitch · pound · spell · lie · ground · band · board · pass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a ring
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — to recline
  15. board — a committee
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. board — to get on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — magic
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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