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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: pass · tear · season · racket · race · nail · scale · bank

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — a contest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — of the year
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — in sport
  16. tear — to rip
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — humankind
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — in music

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