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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · field · bank · bowl · race · mug · object · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. race — a contest
  3. mug — a cup
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. race — humankind
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mate — a friend
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — to protest
  24. bank — for money

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