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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — of a king
  6. capital — a city
  7. content — happy
  8. court — for sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. net — after costs
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — of law
  16. net — in sport
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — the amount
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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