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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a path
  3. bass — low music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — a song
  7. cold — not warm
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — the fish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — high quality
  16. key — for a lock
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — in music
  24. cold — an illness

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