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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: net · deal · pass · file · bank · content · toast · mine

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. file — a tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. toast — bread
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. net — for catching
  15. bank — of a river
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. file — a line of people

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