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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · bank · season · net · mine · cabinet · march · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — steady
  5. bank — of a river
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — in sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — of the year
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — a company
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — in sport

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