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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. fork — in a road
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. degree — from a university

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