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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. season — of the year
  4. stem — to come from
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — finally
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — to go on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. last — final
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stem — a stem cell

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