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

Word bank: present · roll · stick · content · wake · pit · jam · bank

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a hole
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. present — there
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — a gift
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — a trail
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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