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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: coach · fine · mark · clip · deal · key · band · date

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. clip — to cut
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. clip — a video
  10. date — the fruit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. band — a ring
  13. fine — all right
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — to handle
  20. key — the most important part
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fine — a penalty

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