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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: face · pop · land · jam · spell · firm · stick · track

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. land — ground
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spell — magic
  5. track — a path
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. face — to point toward
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. land — a country
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. face — to confront
  17. pop — soda
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spell — letters
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — to keep track
  23. land — to come down
  24. spell — a short time

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