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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: present · key · date · mouse · season · spell · track · bank

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. present — the time now
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — in music
  7. track — a song
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — magic
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — there
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. season — to add flavour

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