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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: mark · pop · bank · leaves · track · field · saw · sharp

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — soda
  12. field — for sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. track — a path

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