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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: wave · season · toast · bank · mine · content · track · swing

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — of a river
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. track — a song
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. swing — to play on
  10. content — happy
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. content — the amount
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. wave — of the sea

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