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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: rest · content · scale · bank · race · field · wave · season

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — a contest
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. race — the arms race
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — of the year
  9. field — a subject
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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