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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: firm · bay · march · race · mark · bark · leaves · fall

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. race — a contest
  24. bay — a horse colour

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