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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a list
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — a song
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. track — a path
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chip — to eat
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — soda
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — a container

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