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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: march · board · cue · pop · suit · band · lie · season

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. cue — a hint
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — the month
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a ring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. march — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — to fit
  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