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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. track — a path
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a song
  16. season — of the year
  17. bark — to shout
  18. present — a gift
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — there
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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