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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: jam · season · track · plane · rash · roll · rush · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — a list
  10. track — a song
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — a series
  14. roll — a cake
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — a path
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — hurry
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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