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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — the fish
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. field — for sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — a country
  12. field — farmland
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. land — to come down
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — low music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  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