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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: fall · leaves · bank · season · ground · net · ball · last

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — finally
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fall — to drop
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — of a river
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — after costs
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — in sport
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — in sport
  24. ball — a great time

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