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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 · track · mark · jam · fall · capital · file · cell

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. capital — a city
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mark — a grade
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cell — in biology
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. file — a tool
  15. track — a song
  16. capital — money
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — the season
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. file — a document
  24. fall — to drop

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