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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: cabinet · row · pitch · bowl · race · bank · foot · sharp

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — completely
  16. race — humankind
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bank — for money

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