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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
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: jam · present · scale · snap · tear · bass · spring · track

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. scale — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spring — a coil
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — size or range
  7. present — the time now
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to click
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. present — there
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a song
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bass — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. present — a gift

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