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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · pitcher · cell · deal · bank · bark · bat

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bat — in an idiom

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