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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 116 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: board · rash · march · ball · suit · bank · hide · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — soda
  15. rash — hasty
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. march — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — to get on

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