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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: chip · roll · march · bass · stock · track · spring · board

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chip — to eat
  8. march — music
  9. stock — shares
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — low music
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. board — a committee
  14. spring — a coil
  15. roll — a list
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — a path
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — a cake
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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