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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: content · jam · fine · season · staff · perch · bank · rule

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. season — of the year
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. staff — a stick
  15. content — happy
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — government
  18. season — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. content — the amount
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — high quality
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. perch — for a bird

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