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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: bowl · mark · race · stand · bear · rush · date · branch

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. race — a contest
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. race — the arms race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. race — humankind
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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