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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: key · last · racket · swing · bank · track · sharp · band

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a music group
  4. swing — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — finally
  8. band — a ring
  9. track — to keep track
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — to go on
  18. track — a path
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bank — of a river
  22. key — for a lock
  23. track — a song
  24. last — final

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