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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: mate · bank · cue · bulb · season · cell · jam · mark

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — for money
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — in sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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