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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: jam · content · foot · snap · last · dip · track · kick

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. content — the amount
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — a path
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. last — to go on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. last — final
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — finally
  18. snap — to click
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. content — happy

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