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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: rush · bank · deal · race · stand · chair · mark · prune

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mark — a trace
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — the fruit
  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