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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: racket · track · fork · date · bay · bat · ball · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bat — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — to keep track
  24. racket — for tennis

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