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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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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 · last · current · swing · arm · leaves · bound · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bound — tied together
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — music
  9. current — of water
  10. last — to go on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. last — finally
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — final
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  24. track — a song

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