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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. race — a contest
  3. court — of a king
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — a trace
  7. field — for sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pop — to visit
  10. field — a subject
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — farmland
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. race — humankind
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — the arms race
  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