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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: bank · clip · current · safe · trunk · pass · track · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a song
  16. current — happening now
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — a permit

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