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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: face · pit · bank · roll · season · arm · court · field

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of law
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — for sport
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. field — a subject
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — in sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. roll — a list
  21. pit — in a race
  22. field — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. face — to confront

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