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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. firm — a company
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. firm — decided
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — a country
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cue — a hint
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. firm — steady

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