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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: racket · rock · bank · last · roll · jam · pass · fine

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. last — to go on
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. last — final
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fine — all right
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. roll — a list
  16. last — finally
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — a cake

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