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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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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: mark · tear · mate · bat · pass · safe · bank · capital

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. capital — money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to succeed

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