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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: pass · bat · suit · board · mine · cold · branch · present

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. present — there
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bat — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — the time now
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — a division
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. board — a committee
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cold — an illness
  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