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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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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 · pass · mine · rest · bank · row · perch · pitch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — a line
  4. race — humankind
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rest — a break
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — a contest
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bank — of a river

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