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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — a subject
  9. content — the amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — happy
  13. field — farmland
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. coach — a trainer

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