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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 · key · bulb · board · lash · ball · wax · stock

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — a committee
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — goods
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — the month
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ball — a round shape

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