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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. last — to go on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. charge — electricity
  9. last — final
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — finally

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