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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. season — of the year
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — a song
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cue — a hint
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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