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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · stand · pop · march · roll · date · rock · hide

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — to visit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — to bear
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a list
  21. rock — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. date — on the calendar

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