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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 · bank · chest · plane · charge · band · ball · trunk

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a music group
  11. charge — a price
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — to keep track
  15. band — a ring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a dance
  24. plane — a tool

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