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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bank — of a river
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. march — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. racket — for tennis

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