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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: file · chip · leaves · bank · race · date · pitch · wound

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — to eat
  14. file — a document
  15. race — humankind
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — an injury
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — for betting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chip — in a computer

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