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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. content — the amount
  8. band — a ring
  9. pop — soda
  10. last — finally
  11. firm — steady
  12. bank — of a river
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a music group
  16. content — happy
  17. last — to go on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — decided
  20. last — final
  21. season — of the year
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — a company

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