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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: squash · stand · land · cap · nail · mug · band · jam

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. land — to come down
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a music group
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a ring
  10. land — a country
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — ground
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mug — a face
  24. cap — of ice

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