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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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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: vault · march · bowl · wave · last · pound · band · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — to go on
  6. march — the month
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pound — a weight
  14. band — a ring
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. march — music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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