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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. court — of law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — the fish
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. march — music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. march — the month

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