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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: chair · land · ball · pass · bank · pit · toast · spring

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. land — ground
  15. pit — a hole
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bank — for money
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. chair — a leader
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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