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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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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: chair · field · race · bank · stand · object · drill · can

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — humankind
  6. drill — a practice
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — a contest
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — to bear
  17. field — for sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. field — farmland

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