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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: stand · wake · march · bowl · spell · rush · current · game

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. march — music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — of water
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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