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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: straw · stem · track · jam · cap · dip · present · chip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — the time now
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cap — of ice
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cap — a lid
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — to keep track
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — there
  13. track — a path
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. present — a gift
  18. chip — to eat
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. jam — in traffic

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