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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. drill — army training
  3. chest — a box
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — in sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — of a word
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. season — to add flavour

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