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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fall · cap · jam · scale · land · bore · net

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. cap — a lid
  3. land — ground
  4. scale — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. net — for catching
  7. cap — a hat
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fall — the season
  10. land — a country
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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