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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 120 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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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 · cap · lie · band · ground · pop · season · nail

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — soda
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. band — a music group

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