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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: bank · mark · bulb · track · toast · stick · bat · chair

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. toast — bread
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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