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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: game · deal · season · pitch · march · bore · bank · cue

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. game — wild animals
  6. season — of the year
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bore — to drill
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — a hint
  22. march — music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bore — to tire

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