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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: net · track · date · field · bound · rush · bank · can

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — a song
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — for catching
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. track — a path
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — certain
  19. bank — of a river
  20. date — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. field — for sport
  24. can — a tin

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