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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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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 · deal · track · bound · can · roll · bank · pop

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. track — a song
  11. deal — to handle
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pop — soda
  22. chest — a box
  23. track — a path
  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