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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.

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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: march · sharp · track · hide · can · pop · board · roll

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — a committee
  5. roll — a cake
  6. march — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — a path
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — soda
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — the month
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pop — music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — to keep track

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