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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: rule · bay · race · capital · staff · press · march · wake

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — a publisher
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — money
  6. march — music
  7. press — to push
  8. race — a contest
  9. rule — a law
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rule — government
  19. race — the arms race
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — a trail
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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