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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: capital · key · bay · last · rock · pop · date · track

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a song
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. track — to keep track
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — for a lock
  9. date — the fruit
  10. last — finally
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. track — a path
  19. capital — a city
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. capital — money
  24. last — final

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