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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: club · pass · bore · saw · bowl · march · key · fall

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. key — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. club — for golf
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bore — to tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — the most important part

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