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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: cabinet · stick · race · ball · present · fan · wind · march

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. march — music
  7. race — a contest
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cabinet — ministers

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