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

Word bank: ruler · march · race · row · arm · pit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. march — the month
  6. race — humankind
  7. march — music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — a line
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pit — a hole

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