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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: coach · cabinet · pass · prune · march · can · lean · stock

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lean — thin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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