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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · trunk · board · squash · march · present · toast · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. squash — the sport
  4. march — music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — there
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. key — for a lock
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. key — the most important part
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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