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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: spring · track · pop · branch · drill · dip · jam · key

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — to keep track
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. branch — a division
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — a song
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spring — of water
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — soda
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pop — to visit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. track — a path
  24. key — the most important part

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