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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: bass · stand · march · row · rock · wax · coach · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bass — low music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rock — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bass — the fish
  13. row — a line
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. suit — clothes
  18. march — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — a stone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bass — the instrument

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