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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: mine · saw · mouse · rash · can · band · track · coach

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rash — hasty
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a music group
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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