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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a signal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — to play on
  17. root — the cause
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — music
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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