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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 · dip · jam · cap · land · date · swing · foot

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. date — the fruit
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. file — a document
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. swing — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a line of people
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — to play on

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