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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: ground · wave · wake · suit · press · race · march · chair

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ground — crushed
  10. race — a contest
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — a position
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. race — the arms race
  23. suit — to fit
  24. press — to push

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