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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. swing — to play on
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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