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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: pop · cabinet · track · wave · net · bank · cold · nail

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. net — after costs
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pop — music
  11. track — a path
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cold — an illness
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. track — a song
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wave — with your hand

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