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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — steady
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — after costs
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — the time now
  13. net — for catching
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — a container
  24. present — a gift

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