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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — to go on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — in sport
  9. field — for sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bore — to drill
  12. season — of the year
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. last — finally
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. last — final
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pound — for dogs

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