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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: file · track · season · dip · ground · object · fine · jam

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ground — a position
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. dip — to sink
  13. object — a thing
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fine — all right
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. season — of the year
  23. file — a document
  24. season — in sport

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