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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — a series
  24. bowl — to roll

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