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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · jam · ground · track · key · mine · stick · bulb

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — for digging
  11. root — the cause
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — in music
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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