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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
468
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: drill · game · leaves · bass · season · bank · cell · pit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bank — for money
  6. drill — army training
  7. game — a match
  8. drill — a practice
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pit — in a race
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bass — low music

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