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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.

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: net · charge · jam · season · bank · file · perch · bowl

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. net — for catching
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. file — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — electricity
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — in control
  19. perch — the fish
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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