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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.

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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: board · content · pass · kid · bank · cell · track · sharp

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. track — a path
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — a committee
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — to tease
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — to get on
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cell — in biology
  21. content — happy
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. cell — a phone

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