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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: field · press · current · bank · temple · spell · race · ground

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. race — the arms race
  4. current — of water
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — newspapers
  8. current — happening now
  9. ground — a position
  10. current — electric
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — magic
  16. race — humankind
  17. ground — the earth
  18. race — a contest
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — a subject
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ground — crushed
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — a short time

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