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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — money
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fine — high quality
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. toast — bread
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — in sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. object — a thing
  21. capital — a city
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bank — for money

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