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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: wave · rock · race · content · bank · present · foot · cap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — happy
  6. rock — music
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. present — there
  17. content — the amount
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wave — with your hand

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