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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bass — low music
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — a container
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a city
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — a permit

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