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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 120 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: cell · perch · track · rash · key · club · band · ground

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — hasty
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — a group
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. track — a song
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a music group
  15. club — for golf
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. club — for dancing
  20. band — a ring
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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