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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — in control
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — a horse colour

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