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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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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — thin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. race — a contest
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. march — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. race — humankind
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. scale — size or range

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