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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — a series
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — to succeed

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