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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. race — a contest
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. club — a group
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. race — the arms race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — humankind
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. club — for golf
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. branch — a division

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