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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: coach · track · march · wind · land · jam · suit · can

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — a country
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — music
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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