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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. key — in music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. key — for a lock
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bank — of a river
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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