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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: pass · game · band · field · suit · board · mark · charge

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. game — a match
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. game — wild animals
  5. board — to get on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — for sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — farmland
  16. mark — a grade
  17. field — a subject
  18. pass — a permit
  19. charge — a price
  20. suit — clothes
  21. charge — in control
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — in cards

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