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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: track · season · bat · plane · key · chest · bear · mark

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — of the year
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — a path
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chest — a box
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — a song
  24. season — in sport

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