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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a music group
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mine — for digging
  12. net — for catching
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bowl — a dish

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