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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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Word bank
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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: bore · craft · bank · race · land · field · deal · board

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. land — to come down
  2. deal — to handle
  3. field — a subject
  4. race — a contest
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — humankind
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. field — farmland
  15. bore — to tire
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. field — for sport
  18. land — a country
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bank — for money
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to drill
  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