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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: cap · row · stick · march · bowl · race · content · rule

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. row — to paddle
  3. race — humankind
  4. rule — a law
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. race — the arms race
  13. content — the amount
  14. march — music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — a hat
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — a lid
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a line
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. march — the month
  24. row — a quarrel

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