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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: cell · track · rush · bank · board · pass · content · pop

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bank — of a river
  17. content — happy
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — the amount
  20. bank — for money
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — music

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