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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: track · stick · roll · bank · press · pound · lie · bat

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bank — for money
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — to push
  13. track — a song
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — for money
  16. roll — a list
  17. track — a path
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bat — the animal

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