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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: stand · fan · track · key · jam · bore · last · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — to go on
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — a song
  9. last — final
  10. track — a path
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — in music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. stand — to bear

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