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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: date · can · track · nail · branch · mouse · pound · court

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pound — a weight
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. court — of a king
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — of law

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