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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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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 · track · march · fan · firm · board · ball · ground

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — steady
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — a path
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — a company
  12. ground — a position
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. firm — decided
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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