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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: track · hand · club · staff · suit · bore · land · bank

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — for dancing
  3. track — a song
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bore — to tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — a country
  8. track — to keep track
  9. suit — to fit
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — to come down
  16. club — a group
  17. land — ground
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — a stick
  23. suit — in cards
  24. club — for golf

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