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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: can · board · pitcher · track · key · pop · bound · game

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. game — a match
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bound — tied together
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a song
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — obliged
  24. game — wild animals

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