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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — ground
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. race — a contest
  6. band — a ring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a music group
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. land — to come down
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. race — humankind
  24. land — a country

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