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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: mark · pop · track · lean · pass · field · key · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. track — a path
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pop — music
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. track — to keep track
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. field — farmland
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — a song
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. key — the most important part

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