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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: date · sharp · bank · pop · pass · racket · field · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — a subject
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — clever
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pass — a permit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pop — soda
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — for digging

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