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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: track · rash · swing · band · bay · mine · key · land

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. land — ground
  4. key — in music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. swing — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — for digging
  13. land — to come down
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — a series
  17. land — a country
  18. key — for a lock
  19. swing — in golf
  20. band — a ring
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — to play on
  23. track — a path
  24. rash — hasty

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