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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 120 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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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: content · bank · pit · wind · race · patient · march · foot

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — of a river
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — music
  12. content — happy
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. content — the amount
  18. race — humankind
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — to turn a key

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