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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: row · can · present · land · foot · march · key · board

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. present — a gift
  5. land — a country
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. land — to come down
  13. key — for a lock
  14. present — there
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a line
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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