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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 120 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: present · object · straw · cue · pit · kick · bank · season

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — for pool
  4. season — in sport
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — a gift
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. present — the time now
  14. kick — in football
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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