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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 · press · arm · chip · stand · track · rash · cap

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — to push
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. track — a song
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — of ice
  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