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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: row · bowl · bound · rock · leaves · branch · key · march

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. row — a line
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — obliged
  10. march — the month
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — tied together
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bound — certain
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. key — the most important part

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