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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — of the year
  9. fall — the season
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — shares
  16. race — humankind
  17. charge — electricity
  18. race — a contest
  19. charge — in control
  20. stock — goods
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — crushed

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