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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — a contest
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. last — final
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — rain
  10. race — humankind
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — finally
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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