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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. race — the arms race
  9. court — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — shares
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — to sink
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — to drill
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — goods
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — a committee

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