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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: bay · key · branch · toast · jam · spring · tear · pitch

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitch — completely
  4. key — in music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. tear — to rip
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. branch — a division
  22. toast — bread
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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