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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: staff · fan · mine · content · date · jam · bank · pop

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bank — of a river
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. content — the amount
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fan — to cool the air

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