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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 116 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: season · chip · pitcher · can · content · bank · saw · wax

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. wax — to grow
  6. content — happy
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — to be able to
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. can — a tin
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bank — of a river

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