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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: coach · march · row · chip · land · mark · key · can

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — to paddle
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a line
  11. chip — to eat
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — the most important part
  18. land — ground
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — a country
  23. march — music
  24. key — in music

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