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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. court — for sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. court — of a king
  24. bowl — to roll

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