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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: bat · jam · mark · chip · file · fan · firm · track

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bat — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — to eat
  10. firm — decided
  11. track — a path
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bat — for baseball

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