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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — for a lock
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — to rob
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. track — a song
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a path
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. key — in music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — to breed

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