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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: pit · foot · club · bass · tear · bank · cap · season

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. season — of the year
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — a lid
  11. club — for golf
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — a group
  22. bass — the fish
  23. club — for dancing
  24. foot — the bottom

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