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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. march — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. row — a line
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. march — the month
  9. race — humankind
  10. hand — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hand — help
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — part of the body

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