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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: bank · band · pass · perch · spring · track · rule · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a music group
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — a permit
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. spring — of water
  14. track — a song
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. track — a path
  18. rule — a law
  19. row — a line
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — the season
  24. track — to keep track

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