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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. capital — a city
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. capital — money
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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