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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · track · race · kid · stand · march · fan · ball

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. race — a contest
  9. track — a song
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. track — a path
  19. season — in sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — the arms race
  23. kid — to tease
  24. season — of the year

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