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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: march · key · club · bear · bass · calf · board · stem

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. club — for dancing
  8. board — a committee
  9. key — in music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — a group
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — to come from
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. club — for golf
  24. calf — a young animal

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