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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 · bat · perch · charge · bank · arm · pass · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. season — of the year
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kid — child
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — a permit

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