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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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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: cabinet · branch · bore · bat · pass · deal · fan · rock

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. deal — to handle
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rock — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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