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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — a country
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — to bear
  9. race — a contest
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a path
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. land — to come down
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — to sink
  18. land — ground
  19. track — to keep track
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — help
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hand — part of the body

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