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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · prune · straw · squash · fine · jam · key · track

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — to keep track
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. track — a song
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. key — the most important part
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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