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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — happening now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — for a lock
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — to keep track
  13. key — in music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. race — humankind
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. current — of water
  20. track — a path
  21. current — electric
  22. key — the most important part
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. file — a tool

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