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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
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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: straw · race · pitcher · bank · bulb · field · bowl · plane

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. race — a contest
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. field — a subject
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. field — for sport
  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