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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: kid · toast · chair · foot · track · mine · bank · ball

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — bread
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — child
  7. track — a path
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mine — for digging
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — a measure
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bank — for money

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