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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 116 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: ground · board · march · coach · tube · key · shower · suit

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — the earth
  13. board — to get on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. board — a committee
  16. ground — a position
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. march — the month
  23. tube — in a tire
  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