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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — a group
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — ground
  6. snap — to click
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a path
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — to come down
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bark — to shout

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