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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: bank · fan · race · capital · rule · pit · foot · march

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — a measure
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — of a river
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pit — in a race
  11. march — music
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — government
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. capital — money
  23. race — humankind
  24. rule — a law

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