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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 120 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: track · sharp · bank · club · bass · mouse · court · mine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. court — of law
  4. club — a group
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. court — for sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a path
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a song
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — for digging
  20. court — of a king
  21. club — for dancing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. club — for golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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