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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mug — a face
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. drill — a practice
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — army training
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mug — a cup
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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