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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lean — thin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — in sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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