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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. court — for sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hand — help
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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