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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — all right
  5. mate — a friend
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. degree — temperature
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mate — a partner
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — a stone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — to breed
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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