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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mug — a face
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — a permit
  11. net — after costs
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bank — for money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. net — for catching
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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