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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: mark · bank · track · toast · cap · pass · leaves · kid

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — a song
  11. kid — child
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — of a river
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cap — of ice
  19. toast — bread
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cap — a lid

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