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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: rock · ball · toast · cabinet · march · spring · trunk · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. march — music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spring — of water
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — a coil
  11. row — a line
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. toast — bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — music
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — the month
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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