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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a ring
  4. charge — in control
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — electricity
  9. track — a song
  10. land — to come down
  11. field — a subject
  12. shower — rain
  13. land — a country
  14. field — for sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. field — farmland
  22. track — a path
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. land — ground

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