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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — a company
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. kid — to tease
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. season — of the year
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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