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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: rule · jam · field · bulb · bark · file · track · capital

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. file — a tool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. track — a song
  11. field — for sport
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. field — farmland
  15. file — a document
  16. track — a path
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. bark — to shout
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  24. capital — money

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