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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · mug · nail · date · bear · track · bank · field

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bank — of a river
  3. date — the fruit
  4. field — farmland
  5. kid — to tease
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — a subject
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. field — for sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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