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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — a safe
  8. net — in sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — wild animals
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — a permit
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — the fruit
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — after costs
  22. game — a match
  23. band — a music group
  24. branch — a division

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