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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: bank · track · firm · game · cabinet · bound · craft · hide

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bound — obliged
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — certain
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — wild animals
  16. track — a song
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. firm — steady
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — a company
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — a path

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