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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: pop · season · mouse · pitch · saw · game · stand · bank

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — completely

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