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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: march · rock · deal · board · bound · present · row · staff

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. deal — to handle
  4. row — a line
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — there
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — the time now
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — tied together
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rock — music
  19. present — a gift
  20. march — the month
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — to move gently

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