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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
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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: bank · track · file · key · band · bass · date · field

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. file — a tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a music group
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a line of people
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. date — the fruit
  12. track — a song
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — for sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. track — a path
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — to keep track

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