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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: object · firm · mate · mine · track · jam · capital · squash

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. track — a path
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — decided
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — the sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. firm — a company
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. object — a thing
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mine — for digging
  23. squash — to crush
  24. firm — steady

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