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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: track · craft · key · court · perch · jam · fine · board

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — the fish
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — to keep track
  8. court — of a king
  9. board — a committee
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — for sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. track — a path
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — of law
  24. key — in music

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