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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 · race · trunk · bark · key · perch · jam · pass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. race — a contest
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a path
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. race — the arms race
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. race — humankind
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. track — a song
  23. key — for a lock
  24. trunk — of a car

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