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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. degree — an amount
  8. club — a group
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bank — of a river
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — a gift
  24. club — for 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