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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: cap · track · can · ground · fan · jam · land · firm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. track — a song
  4. cap — a lid
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — a hat
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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