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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: tube · game · staff · file · bank · ground · track · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a path
  7. ground — crushed
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tube — a container
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tube — the underground
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ground — a position
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. file — a document
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. staff — employees

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