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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — a contest
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — the time now
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — a song
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — humankind

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