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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
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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: cabinet · game · rush · march · saw · jam · pop · key

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — the month
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — to visit
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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