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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 116 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: key · mark · face · pitch · march · spring · coach · craft

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a skill
  19. key — the most important part
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. march — music
  24. face — to confront

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