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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — certain
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — tied together
  18. face — to confront
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a hole
  22. content — happy
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bank — for money

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