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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: board · present · march · can · spring · bowl · game · stick

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. march — the month
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. game — wild animals
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. march — the month
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a match
  10. march — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a committee
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. board — to get on
  18. present — there
  19. spring — of water
  20. present — the time now
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. board — a flat piece
  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