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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: arm · wave · can · track · key · band · foot · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. key — in music
  4. land — ground
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. band — a music group
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. land — to come down
  13. track — a song
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — the most important part
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a ring
  24. can — a tin

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