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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 116 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: key · leaves · season · object · track · wound · perch · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — the most important part
  3. object — a thing
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — low music
  9. track — a path
  10. wound — an injury
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — an aim
  14. key — for a lock
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — in music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. object — to protest
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — in sport
  24. perch — the fish

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