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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: pitcher · jam · spring · dip · race · trunk · key · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. key — the most important part
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. key — for a lock
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. key — in music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spring — of water
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — a path
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spring — the season
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. track — to keep track
  24. dip — to sink

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