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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: last · track · swing · tear · bank · pit · date · perch

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — to play on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — to go on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — finally
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — the fruit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — to keep track
  23. last — final
  24. tear — to rip

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