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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 116 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: stick · stand · bank · band · cabinet · chip · race · bore

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a music group
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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