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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. face — to confront
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — a leader
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. branch — a division
  17. season — in sport
  18. land — ground
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — of the year
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — to come down
  24. bank — of a river

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