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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 · cabinet · season · swing · last · pass · nail · board

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — a permit
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. season — of the year
  16. last — finally
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — to keep track
  21. last — final
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — to go on

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