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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — an amount
  12. season — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — completely
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. board — a committee
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — of the year

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