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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. game — a match
  6. race — humankind
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bank — of a river
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — a contest
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a trace
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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