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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: bank · hand · field · bear · last · pass · toast · current

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — farmland
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. last — final
  14. field — a subject
  15. toast — bread
  16. current — of water
  17. last — finally
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. current — electric
  22. last — to go on
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — for sport

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