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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 116 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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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: mate · drill · race · bowl · stand · board · rush · bank

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — a contest
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — a partner
  13. board — to get on
  14. mate — to breed
  15. race — humankind
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a flat piece

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