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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — a tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — the earth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. board — a committee
  10. ground — a position
  11. firm — steady
  12. bat — the animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. race — humankind
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — decided
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — to get on

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