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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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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: tube · bank · pass · root · mine · court · tear · swing

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — of a word
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. court — of law
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. court — of a king
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — a permit

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