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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — farmland
  4. race — a contest
  5. mug — a face
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — happening now
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. bank — of a river
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — a song
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — electric

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