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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. content — the amount
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bank — of a river
  8. sharp — clever
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — in sport
  13. game — a match
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. content — happy
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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