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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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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 · jam · wake · racket · bark · mate · fork · stem

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mate — a partner
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — to shout
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wake — before a funeral

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