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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: march · row · race · fine · bay · squash · perch · dip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — to paddle
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. march — music
  20. race — humankind
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. race — a contest

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