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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: key · rash · fine · court · track · mine · bank · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — a song
  4. key — the most important part
  5. court — for sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. track — a path
  9. row — a line
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mine — for digging
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rash — hasty
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fine — all right
  24. court — of law

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