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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. season — of the year
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — to bend
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — thin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — to add flavour

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