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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: bore · sharp · pop · stand · rash · branch · date · track

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a path
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to tire
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — to drill
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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