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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · wake · bank · field · deal · chip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — a contest
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. race — humankind
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject

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