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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: rock · mug · spell · present · bank · content · rule · season

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. present — a gift
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spell — letters
  5. rule — a law
  6. season — of the year
  7. rock — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. present — there
  10. mug — a face
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — magic
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a cup
  21. season — in sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rock — a stone
  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