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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: fall · race · season · bank · board · saw · pit · mark

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. race — the arms race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. board — to get on
  24. fall — to drop

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