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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 · leaves · track · can · sharp · scale · trunk

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — in music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. track — a path
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ruler — for measuring

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