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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bass — the fish
  9. season — of the year
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — low music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bass — the instrument

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