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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: band · track · net · pass · club · rest · cabinet · object

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pass — a permit
  4. club — for golf
  5. object — to protest
  6. track — a path
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — a thing
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — an aim
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — a group
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. track — to keep track
  24. band — a rubber band

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