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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 · arm · track · drill · fork · bay · cabinet · stand

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. drill — army training
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. track — a song
  18. race — humankind
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. arm — part of the body

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