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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: nail · bat · spring · pop · track · key · roll · mate

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. spring — the season
  2. roll — a list
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mate — to breed
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pop — to visit
  17. track — a path
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — on a roll
  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