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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 120 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: march · stand · board · key · bowl · track · spring · plane

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — a song
  4. key — in music
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. march — the month
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — a committee
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. march — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. key — the most important part
  24. board — a flat piece

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