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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.

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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: club · swing · track · pass · degree · band · fork · spell

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — a path
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — temperature
  19. band — a music group
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — to keep track
  23. band — a ring
  24. club — for golf

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