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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: track · march · can · jam · ball · bay · pitcher · board

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. march — 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