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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: content · pass · bowl · bat · wound · march · stand · board

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — to get on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — the amount
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a committee
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — happy
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. march — music
  24. bowl — a dish

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