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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
468
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: chair · jam · track · dip · cap · fork · clip · mug

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. dip — to sink
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — a face
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mug — to rob
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cap — a lid
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. clip — a video
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. clip — for paper
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fork — in a road

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