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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: club · bound · can · plane · rock · lean · march · key

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. can — to be able to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. club — a group
  6. rock — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — the month
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rock — a stone
  15. march — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. key — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. march — the month
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lean — thin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. plane — an aircraft

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