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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: fine · march · drill · present · jam · rock · chest · coach

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — there
  3. march — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fine — high quality
  11. present — the time now
  12. drill — the tool
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. present — a gift
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — a box

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