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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. club — a group
  5. land — a country
  6. club — for dancing
  7. season — of the year
  8. bass — low music
  9. land — ground
  10. season — in sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. fall — to drop
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fall — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. capital — a big letter

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