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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: rule · mine · season · mug · roll · fan · pit · bank

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. roll — a list
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — government
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — in sport

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