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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 · track · ground · date · craft · season · file · bank

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — to tire
  8. file — a document
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. file — a tool
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. season — in sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a song
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. season — of the year

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