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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — of the year
  5. net — in sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a skill
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — a tool
  17. game — a match
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. net — for catching
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. vault — a safe
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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