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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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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: tube · wake · jam · can · object · last · cap · ground

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. object — an aim
  7. tube — a container
  8. ground — crushed
  9. last — finally
  10. cap — a hat
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ground — a position
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — to go on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cap — of ice
  20. last — final
  21. object — a thing
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — a tin

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