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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spring — the season
  6. staff — a stick
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. track — a path
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. present — there
  11. key — the most important part
  12. track — to keep track
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — a song
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — for a lock
  18. present — the time now
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — a gift
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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