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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: jam · foot · pound · stick · hide · cap · roll · can

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. roll — a list
  24. foot — a measure

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