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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · suit · pit · bass · game · bat · leaves · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — wild animals
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pit — in a race
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the fish
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bass — low music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. game — a match
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. game — a kind of play

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