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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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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 · wind · bank · deal · pass · rest · tube · pit

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — the underground
  17. season — of the year
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pit — a hole
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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