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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · spring · board · craft · content · march

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. march — the month
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. pound — a weight
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — of water
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount

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