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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. can — to be able to
  3. season — in sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a music group
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a ring
  18. stock — goods
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — of a river

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