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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · fine · hide · track · safe · pitcher · mine · bank

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — all right
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — of a river
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — to shout
  22. track — a path
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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