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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · stick · ball · bulb · cell · pass · bank · land

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. land — to come down
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — ground
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — a country
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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