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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 120 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: bound · season · nail · last · deal · tube · track · bark

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. track — a song
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bound — tied together
  10. last — finally
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. last — final
  16. tube — a container
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — to go on
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bark — to shout
  24. track — to keep track

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