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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: wake · capital · jam · track · chip · lash · season · fine

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a song
  3. chip — to eat
  4. track — a path
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wake — a trail
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chip — for betting
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a city
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — money
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — a penalty

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