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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: jam · rock · coach · club · march · content · stand · craft

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — happy
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. craft — boats
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for golf
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — the month
  22. content — the amount
  23. club — for dancing
  24. jam — in traffic

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