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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. swing — music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. swing — in golf
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rule — to rule out

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