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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: key · pop · bass · perch · track · tube · staff · jam

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — a song
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. perch — the fish
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pop — soda
  11. tube — a container
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. key — for a lock
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a path
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — in traffic
  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