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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · track · bank · pop · foot · date · net · chair

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a path
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. chair — a leader
  8. date — the fruit
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — to visit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — soda
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bank — of a river
  22. net — after costs
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — music

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