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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: band · board · march · mate · ground · jam · mouse · present

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. present — there
  4. band — a music group
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. march — music
  10. present — the time now
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — the earth
  21. board — a committee
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mouse — the animal

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