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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: present · rule · pass · racket · hide · field · bank · kid

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — there
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kid — child
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — a gift
  11. field — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — farmland
  20. pass — a permit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. field — a subject
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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