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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 116 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: current · race · saw · rock · march · coach · stand · can

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. march — the month
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — 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