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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: season · pit · rock · cue · pop · bank · saw · craft

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pop — soda
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pop — music
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — to visit

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