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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: fine · pop · court · stand · track · march · coach · lash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. pop — soda
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. fine — high quality
  14. march — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — a path
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pop — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stand — for spectators

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