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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · fork · march · press · wax · land · dip · mark

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. press — to push
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — to come down
  12. fork — in a road
  13. march — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. dip — to sink
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. land — ground

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