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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: dip · capital · face · rule · bass · swing · track · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. capital — a city
  5. face — to point toward
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. capital — money
  13. face — to confront
  14. track — a path
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rule — government
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bass — low music

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