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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: swing · track · fan · key · stem · coach · land · lean

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. track — a path
  4. land — ground
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — to bend

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