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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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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: bank · kid · race · field · roll · deal · leaves · mug

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. field — farmland
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bank — of a river
  12. race — the arms race
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mug — a cup
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — humankind
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — a list

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