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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — help
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — in cards
  5. field — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. board — a committee
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — a contest
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — humankind
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — of a river
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — for money

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