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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: coach · pop · pass · current · row · land · march · leaves

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pop — soda
  3. current — happening now
  4. pop — music
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. march — the month
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. land — ground
  11. march — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — to come down
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a line
  17. march — the month
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — a country
  21. current — of water
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — to paddle

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