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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: bat · present · track · band · coach · current · key · roll

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. key — in music
  4. track — a path
  5. present — the time now
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. present — a gift
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. band — a ring
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — electric
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — of water
  21. track — a song
  22. key — the most important part
  23. present — there
  24. current — happening now

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