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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spell — magic
  22. charge — a price
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. charge — in control

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