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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: suit · race · cabinet · march · date · wound · nail · land

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. march — music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. race — humankind
  8. suit — clothes
  9. date — the fruit
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — ground
  14. race — a contest
  15. land — a country
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — to come down
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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