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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: board · key · date · stem · bay · bound · march · swing

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — a committee
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stem — to come from
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. march — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bound — certain
  22. date — the fruit
  23. swing — music
  24. key — in 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