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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — from a university
  7. race — humankind
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. field — for sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bound — certain
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. field — farmland
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. race — a contest
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — temperature
  24. race — the arms race

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