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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 · coach · pass · drill · bat · press · march · lean

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pass — a permit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — to get on
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — for baseball

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