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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — to come down
  10. cap — of ice
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — for digging
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bank — for money
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. safe — out of danger

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