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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: can · stand · stock · wax · toast · march · jam · rock

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  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