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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: lie · drill · pitch · march · leaves · board · content · pop

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — the amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — army training
  6. content — happy
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. drill — a practice
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — the tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. march — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — completely

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