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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: track · snap · lie · field · can · capital · bark · jam

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — a subject
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. track — a path
  11. snap — to click
  12. lie — to recline
  13. field — farmland
  14. capital — a city
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. track — to keep track
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — money
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lie — an untruth

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