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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — a short time
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — letters
  13. net — after costs
  14. charge — in control
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spring — the season
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — completely
  22. net — for catching
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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