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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 116 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: stand · race · bark · track · bank · bass · swing · mate

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — humankind
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. race — a contest
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. race — the arms race
  11. track — a song
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — low music
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bass — the fish

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