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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a line
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. land — a country
  21. rock — a stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  24. bank — of a river

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