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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. track — a path
  9. season — of the year
  10. root — the cause
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. root — of a word
  16. track — to keep track
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. season — in sport
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — a song
  24. pit — in a race

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