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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. squash — to crush
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stand — on your feet

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