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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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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 · present · pass · pound · tube · club · tear · bank

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. date — the fruit
  9. club — a group
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. club — for golf
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — there
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pound — a weight
  17. club — for dancing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. present — a gift
  24. bank — of a river

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