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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pass — a permit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. net — for catching
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — in sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — a division
  19. fall — to drop
  20. capital — money
  21. fall — the season
  22. net — after costs
  23. season — of the year
  24. capital — a city

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