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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · fine · pit · season · lie · band · bank · content

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — happy
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — high quality
  6. season — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — all right
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pit — a hole
  16. band — a ring
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — of the year
  20. pit — in a race
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — a penalty
  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