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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 · ball · ground · pass · season · tear · trunk

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — a committee
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — of the year
  14. tear — to rip
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a dance
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ground — crushed

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