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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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Word bank
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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 · tube · rule · current · branch · march · race · stand

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — a law
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — a container
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — government
  10. current — of water
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. race — a contest
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — humankind
  21. march — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tube — the underground

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