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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: march · shower · can · racket · bay · stem · board · pass

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — the month
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. shower — rain
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — music
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pass — a permit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — a horse colour

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