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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 116 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 sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — completely
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. race — the arms race
  14. present — the time now
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — humankind
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. race — a contest
  24. present — there

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