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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: can · cue · pit · clip · bank · season · safe · row

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — a line
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. season — in sport
  13. clip — a video
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. clip — to cut
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — for paper
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — to paddle

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