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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. season — in sport
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. shower — to wash
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. cold — not warm
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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