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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — the amount
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. content — happy
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pit — a hole
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. track — a song
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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