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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: spell · racket · track · kid · bank · board · fall · mate

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — a short time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — letters
  7. kid — to tease
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kid — child
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fall — the season
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — magic

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