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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pass — a permit
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rash — a series
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — hasty

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