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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bank — of a river
  15. roll — a cake
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. march — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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