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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bank — of a river
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — the season
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bank — for money
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitch — completely
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — a hole
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spring — a coil

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