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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: march · hide · race · pit · coach · bank · tear · roll

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. march — music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tear — to rip
  10. race — the arms race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. race — humankind
  15. tear — from crying
  16. march — the month
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a list
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. race — a contest

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