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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: snap · march · pop · cap · temple · pound · jam · mark

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. snap — to click
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — music
  6. march — the month
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pop — soda
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. march — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mark — a grade
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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