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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: jam · ruler · wound · mark · squash · firm · rest · track

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — steady
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — a path
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — decided
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — a company
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — to keep track
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a grade
  24. squash — the sport

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