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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — low music
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — of the year
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bass — the fish
  12. last — final
  13. file — a document
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. last — to go on
  17. cap — a hat
  18. root — of a word
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — finally
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — clothes

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