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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 · deal · wake · swing · net · pitcher · bank · chair

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — in sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — to play on
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. net — after costs
  24. wake — a trail

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