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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: rock · can · march · land · stem · mate · row · toast

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. land — a country
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — ground
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. can — to be able to
  14. row — a line
  15. land — to come down
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. toast — bread
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. march — music
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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