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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: file · jam · track · lash · roll · snap · stand · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. roll — a cake
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. capital — a city
  11. snap — to click
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. track — a song
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. file — a document
  21. stand — to bear
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. roll — a list

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