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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: pound · cap · last · track · swing · stick · net · bank

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — to play on
  11. last — final
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. last — finally
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pound — a weight

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