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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: track · mug · capital · pound · march · court · face · jam

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a face
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — a cup
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. march — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. capital — a city
  22. mug — to rob
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. march — the month

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