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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bound — certain
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mug — a face
  20. field — farmland
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. wave — of the sea

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