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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kick — in football
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — clever
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — ground
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — for light

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