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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. court — for sport
  3. track — a path
  4. key — in music
  5. club — a group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. file — a line of people
  9. club — for golf
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — of a king
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. club — for dancing
  17. file — a document
  18. court — of law
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a ring

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