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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: deal · pit · fall · dip · mark · march · race · firm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. firm — steady
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. race — humankind
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mark — a trace
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pit — in a race
  17. race — a contest
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — decided
  21. race — the arms race
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — to handle
  24. firm — a company

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