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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · jam · track · pass · mouse · bank · sharp · chest

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bank — for money

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