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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: fan · stand · row · season · pass · bank · chip · race

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — humankind
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — of the year
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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