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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a document
  14. rule — government
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — to keep track
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — a path

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