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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: track · key · bass · can · stem · row · coach · mate

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — a partner
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bass — the fish
  8. track — a path
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — a song
  18. stem — to come from
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bass — low music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — a trainer

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