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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — a subject
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — all right
  8. field — farmland
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — a thing
  12. bore — to drill
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. object — an aim
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. object — to protest
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — employees

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