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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: pit · plane · bank · bark · track · nail · cold · firm

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pit — a hole
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. track — a path
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — a tool

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