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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: mate · track · rock · game · object · hand · date · bound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bound — tied together
  3. game — wild animals
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. object — to protest
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — certain
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — a friend
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. object — an aim
  15. game — a match
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hand — help
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — a thing
  24. rock — music

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