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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. march — music
  6. present — there
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. land — ground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. present — a gift
  21. bank — for money
  22. field — farmland
  23. land — a country
  24. field — a subject

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