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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 120 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: stand · march · bowl · pop · swing · rock · cap · foot

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. march — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. swing — music
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — soda
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bowl — a football final

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