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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. court — for sport
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. court — of a king
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — bread
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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