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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. present — there
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — to play on
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — a grade
  10. swing — music
  11. season — of the year
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — in golf
  19. present — a gift
  20. march — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. nail — for a hammer

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