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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 116 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: bowl · track · firm · swing · bank · mark · wind · staff

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a path
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. track — a song
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — to keep track
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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