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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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 — humankind
  2. object — to protest
  3. court — for sport
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. bore — to tire
  9. object — an aim
  10. spring — the season
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — bread
  13. court — of a king
  14. race — a contest
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. race — the arms race
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spring — of water
  22. chip — to eat
  23. object — a thing
  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