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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. swing — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — of a word
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — in golf

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