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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 116 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: track · bank · last · firm · deal · bat · pit · bound

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — a hole
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — final
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — in a race
  18. firm — decided
  19. track — a path
  20. firm — a company
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — steady

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