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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. race — a contest
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — the month

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