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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · jam · track · pitcher · key · sharp · pop · row

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. key — in music
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a line
  13. track — a path
  14. pop — to visit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — the most important part
  19. row — to paddle
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. jam — a tight spot

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