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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: rest · track · shower · foot · firm · bank · club · press

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. club — for golf
  3. track — a path
  4. firm — a company
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — a group
  11. track — a song
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — a measure
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. shower — to wash
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — part of the body
  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