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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: jam · mine · net · calf · mouse · branch · bank · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. branch — a division
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — a permit
  24. net — after costs

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