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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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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: deal · bank · wake · ground · date · rock · track · bore

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rock — a stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — a song
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ground — crushed
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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