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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 120 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: chest · land · bank · deal · season · track · bore · charge

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — a path
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chest — a box
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — to come down
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. land — ground
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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