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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: race · season · stand · bowl · last · stick · row · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — a line
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. season — of the year
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stand — to bear
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. race — a contest
  22. last — finally
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. race — humankind

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