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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: ground · jam · cap · scale · sharp · firm · rush · track

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. track — a song
  4. ground — crushed
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — a lid
  7. track — a path
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. scale — size or range
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. scale — in music

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