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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: stick · ground · can · plane · scale · jam · pop · cap

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — a lid
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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