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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 · jam · track · fine · court · rush · net · pass

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — a path
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — all right
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — of law
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of a king
  23. net — after costs
  24. pass — to spend time

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