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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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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: race · bank · court · swing · root · toast · hide · stand

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. swing — in golf
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. race — a contest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — for sport
  10. toast — bread
  11. court — of law
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — humankind
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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