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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 120 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: patient · bank · pound · race · mouse · bowl · object · pitcher

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — an aim
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. object — a thing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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