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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: charge · pound · bank · mate · row · band · plane · pass

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pound — a weight
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a music group
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — to breed
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bank — for money
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  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