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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: spell · leaves · band · jam · pitch · content · rule · bank

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — magic
  3. rule — government
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pitch — completely
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. band — a ring
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — a law

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