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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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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: bass · deal · rest · bank · content · trunk · club · season

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — for dancing
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. content — happy
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — a break
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — of the year
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — low music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bank — for money

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