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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: pass · swing · band · mouse · mate · sharp · track · plane

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. swing — to play on
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. track — a song
  22. band — a music group
  23. swing — in golf
  24. band — a ring

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