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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: band · mouse · track · nail · row · date · arm · pop

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — to visit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pop — soda
  20. track — a path
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. arm — a part of something

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