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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. key — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. file — a document
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — for baseball
  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