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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 · deal · stick · wound · jam · pitcher · root · can

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — of a word
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. root — the cause
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — of ice
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a plant
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wound — an injury

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