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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — of the year
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cell — a phone
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for golf
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — there
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. net — after costs
  15. club — a group
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — the time now
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. net — in sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. cell — in biology
  24. jam — in traffic

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