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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — to come down
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — a country
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — ground
  20. season — of the year
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — of a river

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