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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 120 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: game · suit · kick · bank · tube · last · pass · bound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pass — a permit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — wild animals
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. last — to go on

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