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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rock — music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cap — a lid

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