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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: jam · sharp · mug · clip · band · vault · ground · cap

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ground — a position
  4. sharp — clever
  5. clip — a video
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ground — crushed
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cap — of ice
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. band — a ring
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mug — a cup
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cap — a hat
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — a face

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