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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · bass · band · fork · present · jam · stem · track

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — the time now
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a path
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — a gift
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — a song
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — the most important part
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stem — to come from
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — there

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