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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rule — government
  17. pitch — completely
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. season — to add flavour
  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