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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: game · race · bank · cap · stock · track · present · board

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — a lid
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — of ice
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a song
  18. race — humankind
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stock — shares
  23. game — a match
  24. present — a gift

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