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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: land · race · toast · ground · rock · rest · press · wake

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rest — a break
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — a country
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — ground
  11. press — a publisher
  12. land — to come down
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. toast — bread
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — the earth
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rock — a stone
  24. race — humankind

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