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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — for catching
  3. rock — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — of the year
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a committee
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. net — in sport
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — in sport

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