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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — ground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — for dancing
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — a division
  14. spring — the season
  15. club — for golf
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — happy
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — of water
  24. bay — a horse colour

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