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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — of a river
  5. content — happy
  6. capital — money
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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