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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: bear · pound · jam · track · key · field · pit · leaves

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. key — the most important part
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. track — a song
  7. pit — a hole
  8. track — to keep track
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — a weight
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — in a race
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — a subject
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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