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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: mark · season · bat · bank · can · pitcher · chip · jam

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — a grade
  7. season — in sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bank — of a river
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mark — to pay attention

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