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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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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: staff · fork · land · ground · jam · season · bank · cabinet

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — the earth
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — ground
  10. fork — in a road
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. land — to come down
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. land — a country
  21. ground — a position
  22. season — in sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — a garden tool

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