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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — for money

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