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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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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. race — a contest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — goods
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stock — shares
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mug — a face
  24. race — humankind

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