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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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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: race · march · rock · object · wound · mark · present · suit

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — in cards
  3. object — an aim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. object — to protest
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a trace
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — a gift
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — the month
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. present — there
  20. suit — clothes
  21. race — a contest
  22. march — music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. suit — to fit

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