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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: race · key · object · mine · march · arm · bay · date

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. race — humankind
  5. march — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. march — the month
  8. object — a thing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — to protest
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — an aim
  18. march — the month
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — in music
  21. race — a contest
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mine — an explosive

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