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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.

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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: rule · coach · can · hand · march · patient · stand · track

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rule — government
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — a law
  17. march — the month
  18. hand — in cards
  19. track — a song
  20. stand — to bear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — to keep track

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