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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. present — the time now
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — there
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. present — a gift
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. craft — boats
  20. court — of law
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. court — for sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. safe — out of danger

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