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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: band · land · coach · march · vault · mate · can · stick

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a music group
  13. mate — a partner
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. mate — to breed
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. vault — a safe
  20. march — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — ground
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — the month

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