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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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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: firm · mark · bore · bat · bank · track · sharp · pound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — steady
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — to drill
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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