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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · roll · season · last · file · mouse · bank · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. roll — a list
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. file — a document
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — to go on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — final
  22. file — a line of people
  23. last — finally
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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