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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. field — for sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. bear — the animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. field — farmland
  17. toast — bread
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — of a river

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