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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: rest · deal · stand · race · mark · march · rock · perch

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rock — a stone
  7. march — music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. race — humankind
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. rest — a break
  23. stand — to bear
  24. perch — for a bird

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