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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pop — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — help
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. hand — in cards

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