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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: tear · suit · bank · wind · present · track · pit · pitcher

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — there
  22. track — a song
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bank — for money

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