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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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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 · wake · pit · capital · bank · present · field · bear

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. capital — a city
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. field — farmland
  8. capital — money
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — a subject
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. field — for sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. bank — for money

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