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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 · bass · key · hand · track · coach · club · foot

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. swing — in golf
  5. key — the most important part
  6. track — a song
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. key — for a lock
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hand — in cards
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. swing — to play on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hand — help
  22. swing — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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