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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: rest · present · fine · bore · spring · chair · race · field

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spring — of water
  3. field — a subject
  4. present — there
  5. race — a contest
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — a break
  8. field — for sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bore — to tire
  12. field — farmland
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. present — a gift
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. present — the time now
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — all right
  24. bore — gave birth

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