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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fine — all right
  6. suit — to fit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. suit — clothes
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. branch — a division
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. track — a path
  18. season — of the year
  19. track — a song
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pit — in a race

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