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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mark — to pay attention

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