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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: fine · mug · track · file · wound · jam · firm · perch

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — a path
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. firm — decided
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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