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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: net · court · date · firm · face · bank · band · pass

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of law
  8. net — in sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — the fruit
  17. net — after costs
  18. band — a ring
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — of a king
  22. firm — decided
  23. bank — of a river
  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