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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: club · present · racket · coach · bore · jam · band · key

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. key — the most important part
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. club — for dancing
  5. band — a music group
  6. bore — to drill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — the time now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. key — in music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bore — to tire
  20. club — a group
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. club — for golf
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. key — for a lock

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