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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: fan · track · bank · cue · key · season · sharp · stand

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. track — a song
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — a hint
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a signal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a path
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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