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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: roll · spell · march · foot · race · rash · press · mouse

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rash — hasty
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. march — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. march — the month
  22. race — a contest
  23. roll — a list
  24. race — humankind

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