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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: bank · plane · bass · craft · season · staff · present · march

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — boats
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. march — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — a gift
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — in sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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