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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · spring · board · craft · content · march · coach · bear

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. march — the month
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. march — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. content — happy
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. craft — boats
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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