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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: nail · track · cap · dip · drill · tube · craft · jam

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a hat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — a lid
  6. drill — army training
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — a song
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a path
  20. drill — a practice
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. jam — a tight spot

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