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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: bank · track · band · sharp · stick · spell · pop · nail

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — a song
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. track — a path
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — letters
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bank — of a river
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a music group
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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