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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 · bass · fall · chip · lie

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — low music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lie — to recline

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