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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bass — low music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — happy
  18. pit — in a race
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. file — a document
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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