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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: track · suit · march · bank · drill · present · wake · pit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. march — the month
  8. track — a path
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. present — a gift
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — a song
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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