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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: mark · cap · clip · trunk · ground · jam · stick · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cap — of ice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. clip — a video
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mark — a grade
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — crushed

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