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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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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: band · capital · bank · bay · temple · jam · bark · track

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. track — a song
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — money
  5. track — a path
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. capital — a city
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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