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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 · cell · bank · bass · mug · perch · fan · roll

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. roll — a list
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a face
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — a song
  12. cell — in biology
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — a path
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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