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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: net · track · craft · fall · spell · present · season · bank

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — a short time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — a path
  6. present — there
  7. season — of the year
  8. fall — the season
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. present — the time now
  11. net — after costs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — boats
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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