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

Word bank: race · stem · object · stand · stick · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — to bear
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. object — an aim
  12. march — music
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — a contest
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. race — the arms race
  18. object — a thing

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