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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — to visit
  10. track — a path
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pop — music
  15. land — ground
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. land — a country
  24. pop — soda

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