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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — wild animals

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