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

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — final
  5. season — in sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. last — finally
  8. mark — a grade
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. season — of the year
  24. squash — to crush

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