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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 116 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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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: rock · racket · pound · mine · stand · pass · chair · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. march — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rock — music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stand — on your feet

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