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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.

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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: fine · mine · pit · march · spring · rush · bank · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. march — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fine — all right
  9. chair — a leader
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spring — the season
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — of water
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rush — hurry

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