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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: pass · drill · march · wind · race · firm

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — decided
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. race — a contest
  7. drill — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — humankind
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pass — a permit

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